GOP senator's Trump endorsement gets fact-checked using his own tweets

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) joined with several other Republicans in endorsing Donald Trump for president on Wednesday, but the wording of the support seems to fly in the face of what he's posted on social media previously.

"When Donald Trump was president, America was safe, strong, and prosperous," wrote Cotton, giving examples involving the U.S.-Mexico border.

But lawyer Adam Cohen, who is also the vice chair of Lawyers for Good Government, pointed to a 2020 tweet from Cotton in which Cotton advocated for the military to be called in to quell unrest when Trump was president.

"When Donald Trump was president, there was so much civil unrest That Tom Cotton called for the military to intervene And advocated for shooting American citizens," Cohen wrote on X.

The June 1, 2020 tweet attacked protesters angry about the slaying of George Floyd as anarchists and rioters. While the overwhelming majority of protests were peaceful, conservative media promoted those that weren't, making it seem as if the country was under attack.

"If local law enforcement is overwhelmed and needs backup, let's see how tough these Antifa terrorists are when they're facing off with the 101st Airborn Division," said Cotton. "Whatever it takes to restore order. No quarter for insurrectionists, anarchists, rioters and looters."

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It flies in the face of his claim that under Trump, America was "safe."

Cotton made a similar claim after Jan. 6, 2021, when MAGA fans attacked the U.S. Capitol.

"It’s past time for the president to accept the results of the election, quit misleading the American people, and repudiate mob violence," Cotton said in a statement, the Wall Street Journal reported.

"The senators and representatives who fanned the flames by encouraging the president and leading their supporters to believe that their objections could reverse the election results should withdraw those objections," the statement continued.

"The principle remains the same: no quarter for insurrectionists," Cotton said, referencing the June 2020 post. "Those who attacked the Capitol today should face the full extent of federal law."